The FIA has a long and distinguished history in promoting road safety. For many years the Federation has lobbied for improved legislation, infrastructure and vehicle safety technologies on an international scale.

Road safety is fast becoming a global problem with 1.3 million people losing their lives and 50 million others seriously injured annually as a result of road accidents. It is estimated that by 2020 road traffic accidents will claim 2 million lives each year – more then any other global pandemic.

On May 11th 2011 the FIA launched its Action for Road Safety in support of the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety. The FIA’s initiative aims to lower the alarming figures associated with global road accidents and to spread the safer motoring message.

Central to the campaign are the 10 Golden Rules for Safer Motoring. A set of simple tips intended to help motorists improve their driving behaviour. These rules hope to assist motorists in reaching a golden standard of motoring and to remind them of their responsibilities to themselves, their passengers and all other road users.

The campaign has also received endorsements from heads of state, leaders and international opinion formers such as the President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan, Archbishop of Capetown Desmond Tutu, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Luis Alberto Moreno and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.